November 20, 2025
B. H. Carroll Theological Seminary at ETBU welcomed renowned theologian, historian, and author Dr. Douglas Sweeney as the keynote speaker for the Frank W. and Pauline Patterson Lecture Series, held November 17–18 at First Baptist Church Arlington as part of the Seminary’s Fall 2025 Colloquy.
This semester’s theme, “The Evangelical Supernatural in Early Modern Europe and Today,” guided participants through a historical and theological examination of how early evangelical movements understood the active, miraculous work of God. The two-day event brought together scholars, pastors, ministry leaders, faculty, and students for focused study and theological discussion.
Dr. Sweeney became the second dean of Beeson Divinity School in 2019. In his role, he provides strategic leadership and shepherds the institution’s ongoing work to prepare men and women for Gospel-centered ministry. Prior to his appointment at Beeson, Dr. Sweeney taught at Aquinas College, Yale Divinity School, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, the University of Heidelberg, and several other institutions in the United States and abroad.
He is the author or editor of more than twenty books covering the history of Christian doctrine, early modern Protestant history, American church history, Christology, and global evangelicalism. His most recent volume, The Substance of Our Faith: Foundations for the History of Christian Doctrine (Baker Academic), is the first in a two-part work tracing the global history of Christian teaching from the time of the apostles.
Dr. Sweeney holds a PhD and MA from Vanderbilt University, an MA from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a BA from Wheaton College. His body of work includes:
The Substance of Our Faith (2023); The Bible in Early Transatlantic Pietism and Evangelicalism (2022); Hearing and Doing the Word (2021); The Oxford Handbook of Jonathan Edwards (2021); Jonathan Edwards and Scripture (2018); Edwards the Exegete (2016); After Jonathan Edwards (2012); The Essential Edwards Collection (2010); Jonathan Edwards and the Ministry of the Word (2009); The American Evangelical Story (2006); and Nathaniel Taylor, New Haven Theology and the Legacy of Jonathan Edwards (2003).
The lecture series featured three keynote sessions led by Dr. Sweeney:
- Session One (Nov. 17): “Jonathan Edwards on the Character of Scripture and Its Readers” — an examination of how Edwards understood the Holy Spirit’s work in shaping Christians into faithful readers of Scripture.
- Session Two (Nov. 18): “Cotton Mather and Jonathan Edwards on the Miracles of Jesus” — a historical study of how two major early American evangelical figures interpreted and defended the miraculous ministry of Christ.
- Session Three (Nov. 18): “Protestant History and Pastoral Identity: Restoring a Supernatural Vision of Everyday Ministry” — a call for contemporary pastoral leaders to recover a historically grounded and spiritually vibrant view of ministry shaped by God’s ongoing supernatural work.
“The way our colonial Christian forefathers thought about the world of the supernatural may seem disconnected from modern Christianity—as if the time can’t be bridge,” Director of PhD Programs Greg Tomlin said. “But Dr. Sweeney has shown us how they directly relate to our current churches, from the way we read our Bibles to the way we theologically evaluate the charismatic movement, Pentecostalism, and miracles reported around the world. His lectures have been fascinating.”
Throughout both days, attendees engaged in lecture sessions, dialogue, and reflection with Dr. Sweeney, continuing the Patterson Lecture Series and Carroll Colloquy tradition of uniting rigorous academic study with spiritual formation and ministry relevance.
“The Frank W. and Pauline Patterson Endowed Colloquy lectures continue to advance our mission to equip men and women called to serve Christ in diverse and global ministries,” Dean of B. H. Carroll Theological Seminary Gene Wilkes said. “We are grateful for our partnership with ETBU and for the leadership of Dr. Greg Tomlin, who coordinated this semester’s gathering.”
For more information about B. H. Carroll Theological Seminary at East Texas Baptist University, go to www.ETBU.edu/bhcarroll.